FISH FEAR ME

About

FISH FEAR ME is a single player action game. It was developed by HEATHER FLOWERS and was released on February 21, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

FISH FEAR ME is a top-down roguelite where you fish up monsters to fight, sell, and use for upgrades. Explore diverse regions, catch new fish, complete bounties, and upgrade your boat, weapons, and abilities to survive against relentless deep-sea terrors. Face the cosmic Leviathan, growing stronger with each run to eventually hunt back.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 189 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

The game offers a unique twist on the Vampire Survivors formula, allowing players to summon enemies and control the difficulty, which adds depth to the gameplay.
The charming aesthetic and humorous elements, combined with a variety of fish and unlockable upgrades, create an engaging and fun experience.
Despite some initial control issues, players find the gameplay addictive and rewarding, with a satisfying progression system that keeps them coming back for more.

The controls can be frustrating, with tank-like movement that takes time to get used to, leading to a less enjoyable experience for some players.
Many players find the game grindy, with slow progression and high costs for upgrades that can detract from the overall enjoyment.
The graphics and overall presentation are considered crude by some, which may turn off players looking for a more polished visual experience.

gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
59%
9%
The gameplay of "Fish Fear Me" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its unique mechanics and depth, particularly in its roguelite elements and risk/reward balance. While some players find the core loop engaging and satisfying, others criticize it for being janky and disjointed, with a lack of polish in movement and design. Overall, the game offers a charming experience with potential for fun, but may not appeal to everyone due to its quirky execution and aesthetic.
- “The gameplay loop is surprisingly deep and the vampire survivors-esque selection of boats make it so that the successor to Snake Farm exceeds its predecessor in every way imaginable.”
- “Masterpiece survivorslike that brilliantly combines the mechanics of fishing with the genre to create an experience unlike any other survivorslike I've ever played.”
- “Great roguelite gameplay with all sorts of fun upgrades and satisfying difficulty.”
- “The graphics are ugly, the gameplay is kind of wonky and so on.”
- “Incredibly janky gameplay loop that feels very disjointed.”
- “It doesn't help that the core gameplay loop got boring within about 2 hours, the loot is really slow in the early days of each run and you inevitably just kite the enemies round and around.”
music
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
41%
18%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and charm, with many players expressing a desire for more tracks and the ability to enable lyrics during gameplay. While the soundtrack is considered excellent, some users noted that it could benefit from additional variety. Overall, the music significantly enhances the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “The soundtrack, though admittedly small, is very well made, and the lyrics during the leviathan fight are quite well executed!”
- “Reel-ly fun game with lots to unlock and honestly an S-tier soundtrack when you load the game up too.”
- “The music has caught me off guard with how great it is.”
- “I wish it had more music tracks or you could play the title music with lyrics during actual gameplay, but other than those literal 3 comments I like this game a lot.”
- “The only improvement they can make is to have the song lyrics be enable-able in gameplay and not just the title screen.”
- “Only complaint is it needs more music.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The graphics of the game are generally described as crude and rudimentary, with some players finding them endearing despite their lack of polish. While the aesthetic has a unique charm, it can be visually overwhelming due to noisy particle effects and a cluttered UI. Overall, the graphics evoke a nostalgic, retro feel reminiscent of SNES and NES titles, but they may not appeal to everyone.
- “Love the aesthetic, and the sense of humour: the gameplay, slightly less so.”
- “The aesthetic is a little spooky--not quite as spooky as Dredge, but along a similar vein.”
- “Great rogue-lite SNES graphics, fishing game!”
- “A fun game with a wonderful premise held back by wonky controls and crude graphics.”
- “Graphics are terrible, but in a way that's endearing.”
- “Add to this that shooting fish is not impactful and that overall graphics are very rudimentary and it is hard to give this a thumbs up, no matter how much content there seems to be medium term.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive and tedious, often requiring repetitive runs to accumulate necessary points or currency for upgrades. This grind can lead to boredom, especially with the game's roguelike mechanics, which may feel more suited to an idle game format. Overall, many reviewers express disappointment, feeling that the grind detracts significantly from the enjoyment of the gameplay.
- “The game also gets a bit grindy later on, requiring you to make run after run after run to get enough research points to progress or unlock new things.”
- “Really wanted to like this, but it is way too grindy to be enjoyable.”
- “You’ll find yourself grinding day after in-game day trying to get enough coins to get the next best upgrade or weapon from the shop—only to have your lack of aim be your downfall for the run, and you’ll have to start all over again.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is highlighted by its quirky mechanics, such as the amusing fishing minigame and the comedic consequences of player actions, like triggering the "oops all snakes" button. Players appreciate the charming and weird elements that add depth and laughter, making it an enjoyable experience, especially in couch co-op mode. Overall, the game is praised for its clever and engaging humor that enhances the gameplay.
- “The interaction between focusing on the hilariously fishing-minigame-based fish summoning and focusing on your movement gives this a tremendous amount of depth moment-to-moment, or allows it to be played as a couch co-op game with one player moving the boat and another summoning fish.”
- “And it's very funny to die because you're the one who hit the 'oops all snakes' button.”
- “This is a charming game with all kinds of weird, funny elements that you have to dig to uncover, which is pretty much exactly what you want from something in this genre.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the monetization strategy in the game is perceived as overly distant or indirect, leading to frustration among players who feel it is not adequately integrated or transparent.
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
- “It seems like the game is designed to push players towards microtransactions rather than providing a fair experience.”
- “The constant prompts to purchase in-game currency disrupt the flow and enjoyment of the game.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game's concept and style are engaging, blending roguelike elements with vampire survivor mechanics, players report significant performance issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “The game idea and style seems fun, a mix of roguelike and vampire survivor-esque autobattle with a manual respawn of enemies; however, the performance level is abysmal.”
- “Despite the interesting concept, the optimization is severely lacking, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.”
- “The game struggles with frame rate drops and long loading times, making it difficult to enjoy the otherwise engaging mechanics.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, with users noting that while in-game text references keyboard controls, the trackpad navigation is effective and the default control scheme is intuitive. Overall, stability is praised, contributing to a positive gameplay experience.
- “I played on the Steam Deck, and while the in-game text refers to keys, you need to use the trackpad to navigate menus. It runs great, and the default Deck control scheme is intuitive for playing.”
- “The game maintains a solid frame rate throughout, ensuring a smooth experience even during intense moments.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or major bugs, which really enhances the overall stability of the gameplay.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story is engaging and entertaining, with intriguing snippets that maintain player interest, complemented by enjoyable music and art.
- “The little snippets and snippets of story are enough to keep me interested, and the takes on the fish are entertaining.”
- “Absolutely love the music, the story, and the art.”